NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. – Rob Callaghan is 33 years older than Drue Nicholas. But to the untrained eye you’d think they are one in the same.
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Nicholas needed a lifeline. Facing a 2-down deficit making the turn during the first 18 holes of the 125th BMW Philadelphia Amateur Final at Aronimink Golf Club (par 70, 7,254 yards), he said to Callaghan he needed help. He had no rhythm, needed a change and asked Callaghan to hop back on the bag. It worked. He rallied to defeat Patrick Isztwan, 5&4.
“This is the third year we went out trying to get a win here,” Callaghan, 55, of Northfield, N.J., said. “The first two years we didn’t make match play. I told him I was pretty busy at work this week so I told him to make the Final and I would be there. He wasn’t playing well. After the first nine of the morning, he said he felt like he was rushing and needed me. I ran out to No. 13 after my meeting and grabbed the bag.”
Their relationship feels like father and son but it is far from it. It is more like a brotherhood. Callaghan is good friends with Drue’s father Mark. They met in the seventh grade.
Callaghan’s impact was immediate. He started caddying for him on No. 13 (par 4, 382 yards). Over the next 13 holes, Nicholas won eight of them, a 180-degree momentum turn.
A big moment was on No. 17 (par 3, 240 yards) with Nicholas 1-down. Callaghan, a Galloway National Golf Club caddie for the last six years, stepped in.
“He wanted to nuke a 4-iron from 240 yards with the wind howling,” Callaghan said. “I didn’t agree. I recommended he hit the 3-iron and if it goes a little long it doesn’t matter. I thought he would be risking a lot to hit a 4-iron and I am glad he trusted me because Patrick hit it in the greenside bunker and we tied the match up. From there we just kept the pedal down.”
As previously mentioned, Callaghan has been on Nicholas’ bag in the Philadelphia Amateur since he first competed in 2023. The frustrations and disappointment of not making match play led to this moment.
“Life is bigger than just golf,” Nicholas, 22, of Egg Harbor Township, N.J., said. “He always said the third time is the charm. I was playing good the last few days by myself so I figured to just keep it moving, but I felt this morning like my pace was off. I came into this with Rob and I was going out with him. It meant the world, and I think it is a memory we will have for the rest of our lives. He’s not just a friend of my dad’s. He is a great friend.”
Callaghan’s voice started to crack when talking about Nicholas whom he calls the son he never had. A true team effort.
“It was so awesome that he brought me in on the bag,” Callaghan said. “I was so ecstatic. I don’t have children and we are truly friends. We play golf together and hangout together as adults. He treats me so well. He’s appreciative of the time I take off and everything. He’s a wonderful kid who’s humble and laid back.
“It brings a tear to my eyes thinking about Drue. Being able to say you are the first person from South Jersey in 68 years to win the Philadelphia Amateur and the 25th to win both the Philadelphia Amateur and Patterson Cup is amazing. I am proud of him. He said to me that we got to finish the journey. Now we can say we did.”
Sly and Higgins log plenty of miles and holes
Volunteering is exactly what it sounds like. Doing something not because you need or want compensation for your time but because you have a love and passion for it.
John Sly and Bill Higgins have offered a combined 34 years of service to GAP as volunteer rules officials. This week at Aronimink Golf Club their efforts shined.
Combined, the duo refereed 180 holes of golf. They each refereed matches in the Round of 32, Round of 16, Quarterfinals and the Final. Each served as a referee for 18 holes with the other serving as the forward observer.
“This is the first time I have ever been a referee in a championship match, so I was honored to do so,” Sly said. “Golf was a match play game and it seems like with the PGA TOUR it has turned into more of a stroke play game. I really enjoy the nature of match play. Getting a front row seat to it all is an honor.”
“Being able to referee this match with John and get the call from Kirby [Martin] is a great honor,” Higgins, 64, of North Coventry, Pa., said. “John and I have been working together coordinating and trying to get players around the golf course. Doing that is a lot of fun and I get a sense of achievement from it.”
Both are also longtime members of St. Davids Golf Club. Sly has been a member of St. Davids since 1986, Higgins since 2006.
“I always loved competitive sports,” Higgins said. “While I am not a great golfer, being able to be part of a competition like today is really thrilling and one of the things that I enjoy doing. There are a lot of great people around here, not just the GAP staff.”
“Golf has been a big part of my life for a long time,” Sly, 76, of St. Davids, Pa., said. “I did play competitively early in my life but I enjoy being around the people. Golf is a wonderful game and it tells you a lot about an individual. I know I don’t play a lot of golf anymore, but I can at least contribute to golf in some way by helping GAP in whatever ways they need help.”
Working hard annually to become experts in the Rules of Golf and give back their time across the landscape of GAP events in any locale, Higgins and Sly are the models for what great volunteers look like. They are dependable, enthusiastic and impactful.
“John and Bill are two guys who really enjoy being rules officials,” Kirby Martin, GAP’s Director of Competitions, said. “They started at the smallest of levels in GAP and have come light years since then. At some level, they are the backbone of our rules group. They go to rules school every year and are experts. I think it is important for us at GAP to give our volunteers a chance to advance. When you see people getting good at the rules, they need experience. That’s what we try to do. They give back a lot of their time to help, and we can’t pull off our big events without our volunteers.”
BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship
Originating in 1897, the Amateur Championship is GAP’s premier individual event. Albert H. Smith of Philadelphia Cricket Club won the first Amateur Championship, then known as the GAP Individual Championship, by defeating J.D. Winsor, Jr. of Merion Cricket Club in 37 holes. The event’s format switched to medal play in 1938. J. Wood Platt went on to win two consecutive Amateur titles under that format. His brother William “Zimmer” Platt earned the 1940 title at Philadelphia Cricket Club by being the only competitor to finish all 72 holes. The event’s format reverted to match play in 1941. The Amateur Championship wasn’t contested from 1943-45 because of World War II. Overall, 34 courses have hosted the Amateur. GAP Magazine Editor-in-Chief Martin D. Emeno, Jr. and Senior Writer Tony Regina chronicled the event’s history in the Summer 2017 edition of the publication.
GAP
Celebrating Amateur Golf since 1897, GAP, also known as the Golf Association of Philadelphia, is the oldest regional or state golf association in the United States. It serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. The organization’s 345 Member Clubs and 130,000 individual members are spread across Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.
